At a joint press conference with President Santos, Pence also took the occasion to condemn the violent incident on Saturday in Charlottesville, Virginia, describing it as a tragedy, in which three people were killed and more than 20 wounded during a march by white supremacists.

Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov has responded to news that a package of further punitive measures for Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 US elections and its 2014 annexation of the Crimea was voted through the House of Representatives.

During yesterday's afternoon, a helicopter of the scientific police flew over the Venezuelan capital, releasing two explosive devices on the Supreme Court, while armed groups of the government kidnapped opposition officials in the building of the National Assembly.

During the night of Wednesday the President-designated in Venezuela by Hugo Chavez before his death, Nicolás Maduro, has annulled the General Assembly, legislative institution established by the Constitution.

A letter signed by Prime Minister Theresa May which invoked Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty _ the official withdrawal instrument _ was hand-delivered today to European Council president Donald Tusk in Brussels.